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Saturday, January 2, 2016

Well blogger, I am back. So sorry that I left you for the last six months, but life got in the way. I know, I have a life! ha! Bet you didn't realize that. What exactly did I do in the last six months?
Camp, garden, camp, garden, hunt, kids started another year of school, trip to northern BC to see family, leg got crushed, trip to Ontario (kid free) to visit a friend, a heap of school work, lots and lots of workouts at the gym, group fitness training, crazy amounts of walking, and then Christmas.

But I am back and at just the right time- IT IS GOAL SETTING TIME! I love setting goals. I love making resolutions. Making lists.... holy shit how I love making a list. Even better than making it, is crossing things off my list! So let me see how I did with my goals and resolutions from 2015:

1. More self care. Yep. Walking and gym time have turned into my self care time. And book reading. I am learning how to find time just for me and I believe my mental health is benefiting greatly from it. I have a lot of anxiety (must do all the things or die from guilt), but the self care is helping.

2. FIT! Oh baby, I am there! I wanted to be back to the level of fitness I was at before I had my reconstructive skin surgery two years ago. Totally there. Might even be more fit than I was. Done! I walk. A lot. Winter goal is around 20k steps a day and summer goal is 30k steps a day. And I was at the gym a lot. Hurray for fitness!

3. Find more ways to encourage active learning with the boys. Easy since they are curious little buggers. We lit stuff on fire, we do math games while we walk, they helped me garden.... Done!

4. Veggies and eggs. Veggies had another amazing year! Garden and greenhouse were successful other than potatoes. Just a crappy crop overall for them and I am guessing my soil was too dense. Plans for a second greenhouse are in the works. Eggs... nope. Damn it. Chicken coop is in, but I have been patiently waiting for our town to pass their chicken bylaw for the last 4 and a half years. Guess what... this girl is finally just going to say fuck it, and do it.

5. Just say no. YES! I am getting so much better at this one! I said no to a lot of requests that I knew would exhaust me or that I really just didn't have time for. No! No! No! The guilt is still there when I say no, and I did go back a few times and agree (damn it), but I am getting better at realizing that I do not have to do all the things.

6. Learn to be content where I am. Yep. Still love Faro. Sucks when people move away, but this town is still awesome and Matt loves his job (ps. new job title! He is officially the Nurse in Charge!)

7. Finish my school work! Done! Well mostly. I am a Personal Trainer! Ya me! And I am also a certified Fitness Instructor Specialist (meaning I can lead group fitness class). Still in progress is my Nutrition Diploma. Working hard at that right now.

8. And back on the list for year 9 or so.... deal with that damn
rubbermaid of pictures. Damn it. Another failed year at that one.

Okay! Time for the new list! 2016 IS GOING TO BE AWESOME! Well, of course it is. Every year is awesome because I make it awesome! Can you tell I am really excited about making these new goals?

1. Went North Fitness gets off the ground. My little business is ready to go! I would like to start working one on one with people as a personal trainer (I have one client already), and offering more group classes. Everything is already in motion to make this all happen and I am rather giddy about it!

2. Walk 5000km. I am a fitbit junkie. Last year I walked 3723km and there were a number of times my fitbit was off (camping, dog ate it and had to wait for a replacement, more camping). That means I need to walk nearly 14km every day. I can totally do this.

3. No. Yep, this is still staying on the list. I have to keep saying no and not let the guilt bother me. I can only do so much and my family comes first. I still have the volunteer things that I like to do (Friendship Feasts, hockey, a bit at the school) and a couple of committees that I am part of, but I cannot stretch myself too thin or everything suffers.

4. Eggs. BRING ON THE CHICKENS! Santa brought me everything I need for my chicken coop (a feeder, waterer, and fencing) and spring time will see me with a flock of my very own.

5. A big hike. I have wanted to do a hike since the year I broke my ankle while running. It needs to happen. I have the gear. I am pretty darn fit. I gotta do it.

6. Push ups. Goal of 5. In a row, not over the year. ha!

7. And I guess the list wouldn't be complete if I didn't add the rubbermaid of photos to the list. Will 2016 be the year I finally deal with them?

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

We spent Canada Day out at Francis Lake and I think it was my favorite Canada Day to date. Francis Lake is normally a pretty quiet campground, but this year the place was packed! And it was mainly packed with folks from Faro.

A friend and I planned ahead of time and packed a few supplies so all of the kids could decorate their bikes the day beforehand. On Canada Day the kids got on their bikes, proudly sang O'Canada, and then did a parade on bikes around the campground. We even packed candy to throw for the kids! Other tourists that were camping there came out to watch, take photos, and a few even ran back to their camper to find their own treats to give out to the kids.

The day before we also gave the kids a bunch of empty boxes, containers, tape, and other random items and as teams they created boats. A big group of us packed up for the rest of the day and went down the lake to a beach and creek. We had a big weenie roast and the kids got to race their boats in the creek. The kids played in the mud, went swimming, and even got to do a bit of tubing! I did one round on the tube and was sore for two days afterwards! But it was a blast.

Then that night there were fireworks on the beach! A friend's father brought them up from BC and even with our 24 hour daylight, they were still pretty awesome. I think the entire campground turned out for it!

Monday, July 13, 2015

When I am not camping, I am in the garden or foraging around the neighbourhood and woods to fill up the winter food stash. Just little a squirrel. I steal rhubarb from four different neighbours. Fireweed grows like mad in the overgrown yard next to my house and wild strawberries in the yard on the other side.

My garden is just starting to produce with zucchini, some cherry tomatoes, a few beans, and today I stole out a couple of potatoes when I was hilling them. My cucumbers are staying tiny and I really hope they start growing; cucumbers from a real greenhouse taste so fantastic! If we can just get some real heat here in Faro, my garden is going to be top notch this year!

My jungle! And this was a week ago. It is even more overgrown now.

A pumpkin!!! It is double this size now.

Tomatoes!

Some of the beans! They are doing so much better this year.

Our wee little wild strawberries!

Perfect snack! Beans, tomatoes, basil, and cilantro.

Fireweed!

Fireweed jelly!

Wild strawberry and rhubarb jam!

Zucchini muffins.

The neighbour let me pick from her haskap bushes. Made some into jam and the rest into the freezer for winter smoothies.

Wild strawberry shortcake.

I love potatoes!

Basil blitzed with olive oil into the freezer for spaghetti sauce in the winter.

Sunday, July 12, 2015

I am playing catch up here with the blog! Summer is in full swing and I am solar powered. June days were busy with the end of school, camping, company, a birthday, gardening, book reading..... On the go all the time. I am not even sure how it is already the middle of July. Can I rewind part of the summer, please?

Kindergarten graduation! Onwards to grade 1.

Proud of the littlest Went.

We had a going away party for two families who are leaving Faro. Sad!

Birthday party for Hunter! The kid is 8!

Emma the camping dog.

Riding the ferry in Dawson City.

We had a great visit with Nanny and Poppy! We toured them all around the Yukon.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

The month of May has been incredibly hot with most days hitting ten degrees hotter than average. We have already taken advantage of this weather by heading out to the lake for two weekends of camping.

With Matt being on call an awful lot, I have gotten good at just packing up and heading out without him. He enjoys having a weekend to work on his own projects and there is no way I am staying home just because he can't come! The boys are old enough that camping with them isn't hard and it can be fun having some mom and boy time at the lake too.

Our first weekend out we went with a slew of friends for two nights just to the closest campground- Drury Creek which is on Little Salmon Lake. The kids were brave and went wading in the water- there was still ice on! We discovered that Emma loves the water and will even hop into the kayak for rides.

Our second weekend, I pulled the boys from school for two days and we went to Frenchman Lake for four nights. Matt was able to join us for three of those nights! We did more kayaking and a lot of relaxing. I read three books that weekend!

This is our eighth summer with our camper and yes, it is getting a bit squishy in there with two growing boys. But we still squeeze in there. The plan as they get older is to kick one out to sleep in the back seat of the truck, and then eventually, both boys can just sleep in a tent. The camper might be small, but it is in perfect working order and paid for!

I am looking forward to another fantastic camping season around the Yukon!

Sunday, May 10, 2015

Spring is here and I haven't been inside much at all, except the time I spend on my school work each morning. I have been spending my time walking (a lot- 30 000 steps a day which is over 20km), prepping the garden/greenhouse, more walking, reading on my back deck, prepping for the camping season, and really, anything I can think of that has me outside.

Check out what has been growing around here lately:

The Dog.
She is six months old a bit of a brat right now. She loves to destroy toilet paper and can find anything dead in a 5km radius. I am teaching her to ride on my quad with me and I love having my little Emma for my walks.

The Plants.
The greenhouse pots are all mixed up with new compost and manure. A kiddie pool is perfect for dumping and mixing pots! Another few weeks and the plants will be moving in. The raised beds need more work and I will get them prepped this week and will plant seeds after next weekend. Indoors I have tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, zucchini, and pumpkins that are slowly but surely taking over the dining room.

The C-Boy.
Cavan turned six last month. When did my baby get to be six? He had friends over for games outside like tug of war and egg balancing. We got him stilts for his birthday since Santa didn't bring them as he request for Christmas and he is already up to 330 steps without stopping and totally unassisted. I am planning on selling him to the circus once I have him trained up a bit better.

The H-Boy.
Hunter is taking right after his mama. He has always loved books, but his addiction to reading is really growing! And check out the title on this book. Zombies! Yah! I am raising him right.

This is summer number eight for us here in the Yukon. And number twelve for north of 60. Time passes so fast and thankfully, we are still very content with our lives here.

First crocus of the year.... which Emma ate right after this picture was taken.